redpath



R. REDPATH.

AUTOMATIC GUN.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.l0,1917.

n. HEDPATH. AUTOMATIC GUN-, APPLICATION FILED OCT. l0, |917.

l ,$15,329. PatenfedSept. 9, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

R. REDPATH.

AUTOMATIC GUN.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I0, i917.

PatentedSept. 9, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3- R. REDPATH. Avremmo-GUN.,

N FILED OCT. l0, I9!

Patented Septf 9, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4- H. REDPATH.

AUTOMATIC GUN.

PPLlcATloN FILED OCT. 1o,- 1917 Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFEIcE. i

ROBERT REDPATH, COVENTRVY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 THE COVENTRY ODNANCE WORKS, LIMITED, OF COVENTRY, ENGLAND.

AUTOMATIC GUN.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT REDPATH, a subject of the 'King of Great Britain, residing at IOrdnance Works, Coventry, England, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Guns, of 4which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic guns and has for its olbject the provision of simple and reliable mechanism for locking and unlocking the sliding breech block and generally to improve the working of such guns.

The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 of which is a sectional elevation looking toward the right, Fig. 2 is a part plan shown in section, Fig.

, 3 is a rear elevation and Figs. 4 and 5 are sections showing the cartridge feed mechanism in two positions.

1 is the |barrel which can slide within a cradle 2. 3 is the breech block which, in the closed position, is locked .to a rearward extension of the barrel by a sliding locking block 4. Within an axial hole in the breech block 3 can slide a sleeve 5 containing a striker 6 and a firing spring 7. On the front of the sleeve are tenons 8 coperating with inclines 9 on the locking block 4, so arranged that as the block 3 moves forward relatively to the sleeve, the locking block 4 is moved uplward in a recess 10y in the block 3 and is freed from engagement with the extension of the Ibarrel to open the breech.

Between the" front of the cradle 2 and a collar 11 on the barrel is a run-out spring 12, and to the collar is secured the front of a rod 13, the rear end of which passes through a stuiling box 14 at the front of a cylinder 15 secured to the bottom of the cradle` and carries a piston 16 controlling the running-out. Through a stufling boX 17 at the rear of the cylinder 15 passes a rod 18, the front of which carries a piston 19, while its rear end is connected to a lug 2O depending from the rear of the sleeve 5. Between .the piston 19 and the stuiing box 17 is a spring 21.

J ournaled in bearings 22 on the left side of the rear of the cradle is a longitudinal shaft 23 having at its rear end a toe 24 which can be turned by a spring plunger 25 into the path of recoil of a projection 26 on the lug 20. At the end of recoil the shaft 23 is turned clockwise through a small angle by the proiection 26 and the plunger Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 9, 1 919.

Application led 'October 10,' 1917. Serial N o. 195,735.

then causes the toe 24 to snap up in front of the projection 26 upon the lug 20 and prevent the lug and therefore the sleeve from moving forward. v

As therefore the gun starts to run out under the influence of the spring 12, the block f 3 with its locking block 4 is moved forward relatively to the sleeve 5, and the parts 8 and 9 lift the locking |block 4 so that the breech block is freed from the barrel and therefore remaiins behind while the latter continues its Iforward movement.

An extractor 27 |pivoted in thel block 3 draws the cartridge case 28 out of the barrel and toward the finish of the run out an ejector 29 pivoted to the cradle strikes the cartridge and ejects it through an aperture 30 in the right of the cradle.

31 is a magazine secured above the cradle and adapted to hold ve rounds one above the other. The rounds are pressed toward the gun by a lever 32 pivoted to the front of the magazine at 33 and having its short arm actuated by a sprin inclosed in a telescopic casing 34 pivote to the cradle, so that the rounds are pushed toward the gun. When the breech ofthe gun has moved forward suliciently far, the lever 32 pushes the rear of the lowest round down as far it is allowed tomove by ledges .35, one at each side of the magazine. This, however, is suficient to 'bring the rim in the path of the front of the block 3. At the end of the run outjanlincline 36 carried by the barrel comes against a toe 37 on the front ofthe shaft 23 and turns the latter through a small angle clockwise so as to remove the toe 24 from in front of the projection 26. The spring 21 is therefore now free to eX-pand, moving forward as it does so the sleeve 5 and the block 3 and the locking block 4'. At the beginning of this movement a groove 38 on the right of the block 3 actuates a spring plunger 39 to lift `a rod 40 in guides 41. The top of the rod is slotted at 42 to embrace a pin 43 upon a quadrant 44 fast ona spindle 45 this quadrant has upon it teeth meshing with a rack 46 so that as the quadrant is turned anti-clockwise the rack is moved to the left. The rack is pivoted to one arml of a lever 47 on avertical pivot 48. the other arm being pivoted to a second rack 49 meshing with a toothed quadrant 50 on a second spindle 51. The two s indles 45 and 51 pass forward at each si c of the magazine and-their front ends carry feed cams 52 which support the projectile of the lowest round. As therefore the breech block commences to move forward, the! two feed cams 52 are moved quickly from the position shown in F ig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 5 to lower the projectile, so that the continued movement of the breech block .can thrust it into the chamlber, and this continued movement also, owing to the shape of the groove 38, returns the cams 52 to the position shown in Fig. 4, so that they catch the projectile of the next round. It will be seen from Figs. 4 and 5 that the cams are so shaped that they prevent the second round from descending. during th'e greater part of their movement. The groove 38 is so shaped that no movement of the plunger 39 takes place on reciiil.

When the breech block is home the sleeve 5 continues its forward movement under the iniiuence of spring 21, and the tenons and inclines therefore move the locking block 4 downward into engagement with the rearward extension of the barrel and thus the breech is locked.

The rear of the striker 6 carries an arm 53 adapted to be caught either by an automatic sear 54, or by a sear` 55 actuated by a wire 56 attached to a trigger not shown. If the trigger is kept pressed and the sear 55 is therefore out of the way of the arm 53, the arm will be caught by the Sear 54, and kthe striker will be held back until on the last movement of the sleeve 5 a toe 57 thereon comes against a lug 58 on the sear 54 which is thus tripped, releasing the arm 53 and firing.

In order that the gun may be loaded the rst time without the necessity of com pressing spring 21, the lug 20 is not per manently secured to the rear of the rod 18, but carries a pair of pincer-like handles 59 engaging a circumferentiall groove 60 in the rear of the rod 18, so that by squeezing the .handles 59, they can be withdrawn from the groove and the sleeve and block ca therefore be moved rearward.

61 is a re-cocking lever engaging the rear of the striker 6, so that in case of a misfire the striker can be drawn rearward and re-cocked without opening the breech.

When the last round leaves the magazine,

a spring in a box 62 presses against an arm 6 3 which projects into the bottom of the magazine and has hitherto been prevented from movementrby the presence of the last round. This arm is fast on a spindle 64 to which is fast another arm 65 pivoted tothe top of a rod 66, the lower end of which is pivoted to an arm 67 on a longitudinal spindle 68 journaled in bearings 69 on the right of the cradle 2,. At the rea of this spindle is a toe 7 0 which is thus raised into the path of a projection 71 on the lug 20,

so that the breech is held open until a fresh charge has been placed in the magazine, whereupon theI toe can'be moved out of the path of the projection by means of a handle 72 on the arm 65.

What I claim is 1. In an automatic gun, the combination of .a barrel, a rearward extension thereof, a breech block adapted to slide axially along the extension, a locking block capable of sliding transversely'within the breech block and adapted to lock it to the said extension, a longitudinal shaft, means actuated at the end of recoil for rotating the shaft and means actuated upon the rotation of the shaft Efor disengaging the loclking .block from the extension.

2. In an automatic gun, the combination of a barrel, a rearward extension thereof, a breech block adapted to slide axially along thel extension, a locking block capable of sliding transversely within the breech block and adapted to lock it to the said extension, a longitudinal shaft, means actuated at the end of recoil for rotating the shaft, means actuated upon the rotation of the shaft for disengaging the locking block from the extension, means for retaining the breech block at the rearward end of its travel, means actuated at the end of the run out for rotating the shaft in the opposite direction so as to, free the breech block, means for closing the breech block and means for moving the locking block into engagement with the extension.

3. In an automatic gun, the combination of a barrel, a rearward extension thereof, a breech block adaptedto slide axially along the extension, a locking block capable of sliding transversely within the breech block and adapted to lock it to the said extension, a sleeve capable of axial movement relative to the breech block, tenons and inclines adapted on relative movement between the sleeve and the breech block to move the locking block into and out of engagement with the extension, a lug on the sleeve', a longitudinal shaft, a toe at the rear ofthe shaft.

adapted to engage the lug, and means for rotating the shaft in one direction at the end of. recoil to engage the lug and in the reverse direction at the end of the run out to free the lug.

4. In an automatic gun, the combination of a barrel, a rearward extension thereof, a breech block adapted to slide axially alon ,the extension, a striker `axially mounte within the breech block, a longitudinalshaft, and means for rotating the shaft in one direction at the end of recoil and in the reverse direction at the end of run out to contro] the movement of the breech block and the striker.

5. In an automatic gun, the combination cf a barrel, a rearward extension thereof,-

a breech block adapted to slide axially along the extension, a locking block capable of sliding transversely Within the breech block and adapted to lock it to the said extension, a sleeve-.capable of axial movement relative to the breech block and adapted by such movement tomove the locking block into and out of engagement with the extension, an actuating spring, a piston therefor, a rod connecting the vpiston to the sleeve and a striker located Withinthe sleeve and capable ofmovement relatively to the sleeve. 4

6. In an automatic gun, the combination of a barrel, aA rearward extension thereof, a breech block adapted to slide axially alongA the extension, a locking block capable of sliding transversely within the breech block and adapted to lock it to the said extension, a sleeve capable ofaxial movement relative to the breech block and adapted by such movement to move the `locking block into and out of engagement with the extension, an actuating spring, a piston therefor, a rod connecting the piston to the "sleeve, and means for temporarily disconnecting the sleeve from the rod.

7. In an automatic gun, the combination of a barrel, a rearward extension thereof, a breech block adapted to slide axially along the extension, a locking block capable of sliding transversely within the vbreech block and adapted to lock it to the-said extension, a sleeve .capable of axial movement relative to the' breech block and adapted by such movement to move the locking block into and out of engagementwith the extension, a lug upon the sleeve, an actuating spring, a piston therefor, a rod connecting the piston to the lug, a longitudinal shaft and means for rotating the shaft in one direction at the end of recoil to engage the lug and in the reverse direction at the end of the run outl to free the lug.

8. In an automatic gun, the combination of a breech block, a projection adapted to recoil With thev block, a cradle, a longitudinal shaft journaled in the cradle, a toe upon the shaft adapted to engage the projection and means carried by the gun and adapted as the gun returns to battery to turn the f shaft so that the toe frees the projection.

9. In an automatic gun the combination of a cradle, 'abarreL a block adapted to close the breech of the barrel, a projection adapted to recoil with the block, a longitudinal shaftjournaled in the cradle, a toe on the rear of the shaft adapted to engage the projection, a spring tending to cause the toe so to engage the projection, a toe upon the front of the shaft and an incline on the barrel adapted as the latter returns to battery to engage this latter toe and turn the shaft against the spring.

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as ,my invention I have signed my name this 23rd day of August, 1917.

ROBERT REDPATH. 

